


After All

by Snapplecaps92



Series: Habits [2]
Category: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Building a relationship, Fluff, M/M, Studying, Support
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 14:32:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17551496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snapplecaps92/pseuds/Snapplecaps92
Summary: As promised, Teddy meets James for the first Hogmeade visit of the term.





	After All

**Author's Note:**

> This work is part of the Habits series. It can be read alone, but makes better sense if you read the the first chapter of Habits.   
> This is not Beta read, so I anticipate many mistakes that will be fixed eventually.

After All 

 

James walked into the Hogs Head in his black button up and dark jeans. He was forever grateful that he did not have to wear his school uniforms when going to Hogsmeade. He didn’t want Teddy to be reminded of the fact that James was still a student. He want to keep his current path of showing Teddy, he was young but mature at heart. He tightened the strap of his messenger bag on his shoulder and made his way inside.

When he walked in and saw Albus talking with Mila, the owner of the Hogs Head, and scribbling notes quickly. He smiled and thought about the great affect Mila was having on his brother. Albus had been talking with Mila since his 5th year. He found his way to this pub and Mila seeing he had potential was enough to strengthen his confidence and make him less prickly. He waved at the both of them and walked over to the small booth. Albus and Lily both knew that James was meeting Teddy here. Lily was too busy to come and Albus said he’d stop over, but wanted to work on planning with Mila for a new flavor of Meade.  

 

When James sat down, he immediately felt a nervous flutter in his chest. He hadn’t seen Teddy since that summer evening. The night he kissed Teddy in their living room. The night Teddy said “not now” but his eyes promised a future, even if that future was unclear.

He had stressed about this night for weeks. When they got the Hogsmeade weekend list, James immediately copied it on parchment and sent a letter to Teddy. He had written Teddy quite a few times before that letter, but in that one he became instantly nervous.

 

_Teddy,_

_Here’s the list of Hogsmeade weekends. I know you have a lot going on and maybe you use the weekend to rest those old bones of yours (just kidding). Anyway, if you are free, and want to keep that deal we made, just let me know if you can make any of them.  ~James_

James was surprised to get an owl tapping on his window a few hours later. He expected Teddy to send one and it arrive in the mail in the morning, or even that he’d have to go to the owlery. But Oxy, Andromeda’s owl, was extremely quick and Teddy was known to borrow her once and a while for quick messages.

_Jamie,_

_My bones are just fine thank you very much. I can make them all. I’ll see you on the 15 th. If you’re still struggling with Ancient Runes bring your materials. I can help.   - T_

James had reread the note over and over again. Smiling more and more each time he looked at the loops of Teddy’s letters. He also felt a softness in his heart when he saw that Teddy wanted to help him with Ancient Runes. In his first letters to Teddy that term, he did not want Teddy to know his last year in Ancient Runes was causing him terrible anxiety. To the point he wasn’t sleeping and overwhelming himself in the library.  To become a curse breaker, you didn’t need to take Ancient Runes, in fact the other student interested in this profession did not take the course. But James wanted to keep himself informed. He also took another course on Muggle Studies, convinced that it was helpful information to have considering curses are put on muggles all the time.

Anyway, James had made the mistake of venting to Lily one evening as they walked together how upset he really was, and she of course, told their Aunt Hermione  (claiming, “I was just scared for you and I thought she could help since it was a class she loved.”) James had just written and sent Teddy an update letter, as he did almost every 2 or 3 nights, when he got Aunt Hermione’s encouraging letter to keep trying. She also recommended the books that were most helpful to her, and encouraged him to consult with his professor, because “believe it or not James, it’s their job to teach and help.”

But then to his surprise the next morning, he got a letter from Teddy early.

_Jamie,_

_I know you haven’t responded to my last letter yet. But I had lunch with Hermione because she still mentors me at the ministry. She mentioned you were having some issues with Ancient Runes. I only got an E in it, but if you need some help, I can try. Next time, don’t feel like you have to leave the hard parts out. Okay?”_

_-T_

And that’s when things changed for James. James started sharing his worries and concerns with school. He was surprised how easy it was, even in letters, to share things with Teddy. He was equally surprised when Teddy shared challenging events too and actually wanted James’ opinions and thoughts on each matter.

So yeah… Today was important. He wanted to make sure Teddy knew he was more than the young 17 year old, who thought he knew all the answers. He wanted Teddy to still want to snog him and even allowed himself to hope for a hidden kiss somewhere in this visit.

He sat down and ordered two butterbeers from one of Mila’s waitresses. When the door opened and James’ saw a pinch of teal blue out of the corner of his eye, his heart sped up. There was Teddy in a tight fitted, long sleeve, navy blue shirt and a pair of grey pants. He walked over to James, smiling as soon as he spotted the Potter boy.

“Hey!” Teddy said cheerfully, sliding quickly into the booth. It was as soon as Teddy sat that James regretted not waiting outside. If he had, maybe he could have nonchalantly hugged Teddy hello.

Suddenly James felt nervous and had difficulty focusing. He felt himself fidget in the chair and immediately became frustrated by his sudden shyness. “How are you? How’s work?” Teddy smiled and James had to look down, worried staring too long at Teddy’s lip would give him a hard on.

“As good as could be expected. Ministry is having their audit next week. So our department is trying to make sure all the paperwork is in tip top shape.”

“Is it?”

“Not at all!” Teddy laughed easily. “Literally, my boss is so disorganized. If I ever run a department, paperwork is my number one priority.”

“Well, I hope I’m not keeping you from resting before your month of hell,” James said. He attempted to said flirtatious, but his vice deceived him and he sounded anxious.

Teddy’s eyes soften and James jumped a bit when he felt Teddy’s hand on his knee under the table. “Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. You believe me right?”

It terrified James just how much he believed the man in front of him. He nodded, allowing a genuine smiled to spread across his face.

After that it all felt easier. James and Teddy took what had always been between them- what has been seeped into each letter written with quill and ink- and it came alive between them in person. James was laughing and Teddy would join. They joked around, gossiped about the family and work, and even retold stories they had written in letters.  James was lost in the himself in the freeness of it all.

After they had eaten some sandwiches and goofed around, Teddy pointed to the bag next to James. “So, how’s that going really?”

When everyone else asked, he’d respond with an _it’s fine._ But with Teddy, especially after that letter all those days ago, he couldn’t bring himself to lie. James sighed, “I’m doing okay. But I keep confusing some core new runes and once you confuse the root meanings it changes everything. I just… They all look so similar.”

Teddy nodded his head sympathetically. “Okay,” he said after staring at James. And began to move their plates and cups and got up.

**

Sure, could Teddy have moved the cups and plates so they were on the end so he and James could stay put? Probably. Did he have to get up and slide next to James, close enough to feel the heat of the younger’s body, and look over the paperwork next to one another? Absolutely.

Teddy reminded himself all morning that this was a casual, non romantic gathering between best friends who may have silently agreed were going to possibly date in the future… Teddy knew he was fucked. But he promised James Hogsmeade visits and it absolutely killed him to think of waiting until Christmas to see James.

When he slid over to James’ side, he heard the soft inhale of James’ breath catching at the sudden contact when Teddy’s arm bumped his own. When James showed him the runes that were the must difficult to tell apart, Teddy found himself desperate for a way to fix it.

But the reality of this was that Teddy barley got an E in this class. He struggled too. He reviewed the runes with Jamie and tried to identify tricks to remember each symbol. However, after 45 minute of this, he saw James’ hand shaking when Teddy quizzed him. The sight made Teddy’s stomach shake. _How do I fix this? I do I make him remember these? I do I stop his nerves?_

“This is ridiculous. I should have never taken this! I should have kept my free period to… I don’t know, assist Uncle Nev in his green house or some rubbish like that.”

James put his forehead on the book that lay open on the table. In the darkness of the pub, he felt safe to rub his hand soothingly up and down James’ back. It was a brotherly thing to do. He’d seen siblings do this all the time. Even did it to James throughout their lives whenever he comforted the younger. But now, it felt like electricity sparked when his fingertips brushed the black fabric of James’ shirt.  A shirt that made James look years older, toner, and just accentuated his beauty.

When James instantly relaxed under his touch, Teddy felt fueled by protectiveness and compassion.  He leaned over, “Jamie,” he whispered softly. “Listen to me.”

James turned his head and sat up, straightening himself out, as if he just remembered where they were. Teddy kept his hand on the small of James’ back. “Not know these handful of runes will not destroy your grade. You do not have to be perfect at every little thing, every single class.”

“But when I get a job-“

“You will have time to check in a book if you need to. Yes, knowing these from memory is recommended, but no one is expected to know everything. I’ve seen see Hermione look things up in her office.”

James’ lips began to lift up in the corners. “Yeah?”

“Mhm,” Teddy said, allowing himself to draw circles with his thumb on James’ back. “And Harry is always checking over things or asking for help in his department. I’ve heard your mom talk about her supervisor the same or at family functions ask Molly for help. Why? Because we all don’t know everything and help isn’t a weakness.”

“It is when you’re the Chosen One’s son.” James laughed shyly. “If I’m not perfect they have a reason to say I only got my accomplishments because of Dad’s status. I don’t want my future job to be because of him.”

Teddy thought about that statement. Out of all the Potter kids, James always appeared to take the Potter fame in stride. He marched to the beat of his own drum and laughed off comments in the papers and school gossip. James always hated sounding like a whiny brat who was ungrateful for his parentage.

“I think you’re amazing,” Teddy said out loud without meaning to. James stared at him, his mouth opened slightly, his eyes widened. “I just mean- I know you’re going to be successful even if you do not memorize this rubbish.”

James smiled and Teddy saw the redness fill his cheeks. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.”

“No,” James said, nudging Teddy’s shoulder. “You helped a lot.”

**

James didn’t want to say goodbye to Teddy at the end of the afternoon. He and Teddy sat in the booth next to one another even after James put his books away. They continued to drink refreshments and snack on appetizers, before Mila gave a warning call for all students. However out of 5 students in the pub, James, Albus, and Scorpius (who must have joined Albus at some point) were of them.

Albus and Scorpius offered to wait for James, and he decided to spend time with his brother and Scorpius. He and Albus had been spending more quality time together after all.  The two Slytherins walked out after waving to Teddy and waited outside.

“So,” James said, gathering his sweater and bag. “Thanks again for this.”

“Thanks for the invite. See you next Hogsmeade weekend?” Teddy asked calmly. James nodded in excitement.  James wanted to kiss Teddy, but remembered they were in public. So he settled for a hug, that to the public probably looked mundane.

 

 

But, later that night, James laid in his bed thinking about the day. He ran his hands over the places that came into contact with Teddy. His mind was stuck on their last few moments together. He hadn’t expected Teddy to do anything. But when James hugged him goodbye. Teddy whispered softly, “I’ll miss you.” Teddy then kissed the tip of James ear where his mouth leaned against in their hug. “See you soon.” James touched his ear where Teddy’s lips had been and smiled. _I guess I got my kiss after all._


End file.
